Overview
At a glance
Montana publishes school and district data and identifies lower-performing schools for support under ESSA — rather than assigning a single letter grade or star rating.
The Rating
How this state rates schools
Montana reports proficiency, growth, graduation, English-learner progress, and school-quality measures, and identifies schools for comprehensive or targeted support. Read across the indicators and any support status.
Indicators
What gets measured
Under the federal ESSA law, every state rates schools using several indicators. They typically include:
- Academic achievementHow students score on state tests (proficiency in reading/ELA and math)
- Academic growth / progressHow much students improve year to year — not just where they land
- Graduation rateFor high schools (the 4-year cohort rate)
- English-learner progressHow English learners are progressing toward proficiency
- School quality / student successAn extra indicator — often attendance/chronic absenteeism, college/career readiness, or similar
Report Card
Finding & reading the report card
Look up any school on Montana’s data reporting (GEMS and report cards, via the Office of Public Instruction). Review the indicators and the trend.
Using It
How families should use ratings
A rating is a helpful starting point, not a verdict. Use it wisely:
- Read it in contextA school’s score reflects its students’ circumstances too, not only its quality
- Look at growth, not just scoresGrowth shows how much a school moves students — often more telling than raw proficiency
- Check the trendIs the school improving over time?
- Look past the summaryDig into the underlying data (subgroups, attendance, readiness)
- Then visitData raises questions; a visit answers them (see our guide on evaluating a school)
Tips
Tips for families
- Start on the official portalLook up your specific school, not just district averages
- Weigh growth heavilyHow much a school moves students matters as much as test scores
- Mind the contextRatings partly reflect student demographics and circumstances
- Compare a few schoolsRatings are most useful for comparison, in context
- Pair data with a visitNumbers plus a tour give the real picture
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
- How does Montana rate schools?Montana uses state data reporting plus federal support identification — not a single grade or stars.
- What do the ratings measure?Test scores, growth, graduation rate, English-learner progress, and a school-quality indicator.
- Where do I look up my school?On the state’s official report-card portal (see below).
- Should I choose a school by its rating alone?No — use it as a starting point, weigh growth and context, and visit.
- What are CSI and TSI?Federal labels for schools flagged for Comprehensive or Targeted Support and Improvement.
Key Facts
At a glance
- FormatData reporting + support identification
- NoSingle grade or stars
- ToolGEMS / report cards
- Look up atopi.mt.gov
Learn More
Where to look it up
Look up a specific school on the official portal: